Sophomore Samanthan Lynott led Stonehill at C.W. Post with three goals (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

#3 LIU-C.W. Post Turns Back #7 Stonehill, 23-11

Olen nets seven to lead Pioneers to key East Region win

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (April 24, 2010) – LIU-C.W. Post, ranked third in this week’s Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, picked up a key non-conference win over seventh-ranked Stonehill College in women’s lacrosse action at Hickox Field this afternoon.

The two teams entered the matchup ranked second and third in this week’s NCAA Division II East Regional rankings after Stonehill moved up one slot in the rankings which will be used to select the NCAA Tournament bids.

Sophomore Ashley Olen (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) paced the C.W. Post attack which scored a season-high 23 goals on Stonehill with seven goals, adding six draw controls. Senior Staci Passafiume (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Comsewogue) also tallied seven points with two goals and a game-high five assists to go with four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Senior Brianne Jackolski (Shirley, N.Y./William Floyd) and sophomore Lauren Spagnoletta (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) both contributed three goals and an assist for four points. Senior Kim Williams (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris) chipped in with two goals while forcing a game-high five turnovers.

Sophomore Samantha Lynott (Holbrook, N.Y./East Sachem) led Stonehill with three goals, three ground balls and two draw controls. Freshman Kelsey Reilly (Hingham, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) also notched three points with two goals and an assist, chipping three draw controls. Freshmen Heather Sullivan (Andover, Mass./Andover) and Kayla Green (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) both chipped in with a pair of goals.

Freshman Dominique Mosca (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) preserved the win with eight saves over the first 49-minutes of play, before giving way to junior Sam Powers (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East) who stopped four shots in the final 11-plus minutes. Freshman Rebecca Moore (Marlborough, Mass./St. Mark’s School) posted six saves in 41:34 for Stonehill.

C.W. Post staked out a four goal lead in the opening five minutes of the contest, with two goals from the stick of Williams. Spagnoletta chipped in with a goal and assist in the opening stretch. Stonehill scored four of the next six goals to pull within 6-4 after a goal from Reilly with 19:57 left in the first half. Lynott led the Skyhawks run with a pair of markers.

The momentum didn’t last as C.W. Post ripped off six-straight goals and seven of the last eight goals in the half to carry a 13-5 lead into the intermission. Jackolski, Olsen and sophomore Nan Mayott (Islip, N.Y./Islip) each scored twice in that stretch, with Mayott capping the half with an unassisted goal with two seconds left.

Stonehill cut the lead to 14-8 after goals by Reilly and Lynott three minutes into the second half, but the Pioneers scored six of the next seven to regain control (20-9) after an Olen goal with 15:15 to play. She had two goals in that stretch, while Pessafiume collected two goals and an assist.

Stonehill (11-2, 9-1 NE-10) is off until next Saturday when it closes out the regular season with a Northeast-10 matchup at Saint Michael’s College starting at noon. The Skyhawks have clinched a first round bye for the opening round of the NE-10 Tournament and will open the postseason with a semifinal round match at the home site of the top seed on Saturday and Sunday, May 8-9. C.W Post (13-1, 5-0 ECC) visits Saint Thomas Aquinas College tomorrow at 1 p.m.